![]() ![]() The unnamed sources also said that the delivery was not covered by a $200 million (USD) Russian loan which Armenia is to spend on the purchase of more Russian weapons. ![]() Armenia is the first country other than Russia which is known to have obtained such missiles.Ĭiting two senior Russian defense industry executives, the Russian daily “Vedomosti” reported at the weekend that Moscow supplied Armenia with at least four Iskander launchers that simultaneously can fire two missiles each. Iskander is thought to be capable of overcoming just about every missile defense shield currently existing in the world. In recent years, Baku has also reportedly purchased from Israel similar surface-to-air missiles as well as a missile defense radar. The Azerbaijani armed forces are equipped with Russian S-300 air-defense systems which may be able to intercept Scud-Bs. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has said in the past that its oil and gas infrastructure and key military facilities are protected against these missiles. Its ballistic missile arsenal until now included only Soviet-era Scud-B and Tochka-U systems, which were also demonstrated during the parade. Yerevan has made no secret of its readiness to launch such strikes in the event of a full-scale war for Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh/NKR). In particular, the sophisticated missiles developed in the 1990’s and first acquired by Russia’s armed forces in 2006 should make Azerbaijan’s vital oil and gas installations more vulnerable to Armenian missile strikes. A public announcer commentating on the parade said Armenia can use them to destroy “strategic facilities” of its enemies. 187 miles) and are known for their precision. The most important of them are Iskander missiles that have a firing range of up to 300 kilometers (approx. The Armenian military used the occasion to put on display several Russian-made weapons that appear to have been supplied to it this year. “Sometimes we made mistakes and sometimes we went to extremes, but by and large we have followed the right path.” “During the course of the past 25 years we have achieved irreversible successes,” added Sarkisian. ![]() “We have the power to defend our freedom and our rights,” he said. President Serge Sarkisian praised the Armenian military as he addressed the troops lined up at the sprawling square. They carried the national flags of the United States, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Greece symbolizing the brigade’s past and present involvement in multinational contingents led by those NATO member states. The participating troops also included soldiers of an Armenian peacekeeping brigade. (Photo: Photolure)Ī dozen MiG-29 fighter jets of the Russian base and Armenian Su-25 attack aircraft roared overhead during the parade watched by Armenia’s political and military leadership. The Armenian military demonstrates Iskander missile systems during the Sept. They were joined by a company of Russian soldiers from Russia’s military base headquartered in Gyumri. Hundreds of Armenian troops marched through the city’s central Republic Square, followed by columns of tanks mounted on heavy military tracks, armored vehicles, artillery and air-defense systems, and ballistic missiles. YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Armenia demonstrated Iskander tactical missiles and other advanced weapons acquired from Russia recently as it marked the 25 th anniversary of its independence with a military parade held in Yerevan on Sept. ![]()
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